1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is broadly concerned with a device to facilitate proper application of cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). More particularly, it is concerned with such a device which can be placed on a patient's chest to give a perceptible indication when appropriate compression forces are applied, in order to eliminate the possibility that insufficient compression strokes are given during the procedure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Every year heart attack accounts for over 350,000 deaths which occur before the victim reaches the hospital. The most dangerous period in a heart attack is during the first two hours after the onset of symptoms. At any moment during a heart attack, the victim's heart could stop beating. If such occurs, it is absolutely necessary that CPR be commenced immediately in order to save the victim from death.
In recent years emergency CPR techniques have become quite refined, and indeed many public agencies offer courses and other instructional material so as to teach the proper technique to a large segment of the populace. Broadly speaking, proper CPR involves first placing a victim flat on his back on a hard surface, and initially taking the necessary steps to ensure that the victim is breathing usually be means of mouth to mouth resuscitation if necessary. After these initial steps, successive chest compressions are begun. This involves finding the notch at the tip of the patient's breast bone, and measuring up two fingers of one hand, whereupon the heel of the other hand is placed on the lower one-third of the breast bone alongside the two fingers of the first hand. The first hand is then placed upon the second, and the elbows locked. Chest compression is thereupon achieved by pressing straight down to compress the chest one and one-half to two inches, with each complete compression (down and up) to last three-fourths of a second. This compression procedure is repeated, with a period of about three-fourths of a second between each compression, for a total of fifteen compressions. At this point mouth to mouth resuscitation is resumed for two breaths, and the compression procedure is repeated.
While the CPR technique described above is quite effective, a number of problems remain. For example, it is sometimes difficult to determine whether sufficient compressive forces have been applied to the patient's chest region, particularly for an inexperienced treating person. Moreover, it is important that the treating person not press down on the chest wall with the fingers, inasmuch as this could cause fractured ribs in the patient. In short, while CPR is an effective life saving technique, in the hands of the inexperienced it can be useless or even dangerous to the patient.